Improvement in rakes for harvesters



2 shPets sheet 1.

W. N. WHITELEYJ. RAKE FOR HARVESTERS.

No.- 99,506. Patented Feb. 1, 18 70.

2 Sheets-Sheep 2. W. N. WHITELEY. RAKBFOR HARVESTBRS. No. 99,506. Patented Feb. 1,1870.

7 Vjnesses. I ida WILLIAM N. WHITELEY,

or srarncrrntn. OHIO.

Letters Patent No. 99,506, dated February 1, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAKES HARVESTERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, WILLIAM N. Wurrnnnv, of Springfield, in the county of Clark, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rakes for Harvesters; and I do hereby declare the following.

to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in Which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention attached to the platform of a harvesting-machine.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the rake-guide, from the rear, showing the switch-latch elevated. Figure 3 is an elevation of the rake-guide, from the rear, showing the switch-latch depressed.

. Figure 4 is a plan of the rake-shaft head.

Figure 5 represents the stop to prevent a displacementof the pivot-bolts in the rake-shaft head.

Figure 6 is an elevation of the rake-shaft and its attachments, in position, showing the switch in operation.

Figure 7 isa similar view, showingthe switch thrown open.

Figure 8 represents the switch-piece detached. Figures 9, 10, 1], 12, detached parts belonging to the switch. I

Figure 13 is a vertical sect-ion, through rake-shaft, post-head, &o.

Figures 14 and 15 are plans of rake-guide, showing :dlfl el'el'lfi positions of the switch.

I Figures 16 and 17 are plans of the foot of the rakepost, showing its adjustments. Figure 18 is a cross-section ot' the rake-blade. This invention relates to the construction of the cam or guide and post, the two being cast solid in one piece instead of separately, as heretofore, and to the manner of adjusting the position of the cam and post.

That others may fully understand this invention, 1

will particularly describe it.

In fig. 1 is represented, in perspective, the platform of harvesting-iuachine attached to the finger-bar A, in the usual way, and the finger-bar A is bolted, at its inner end, to the inner shoe B. I

The shoe B is provided, at its front and rear ends, with lugs G G, to which the ends of the bridge 1) are secured. r

The post E is mounted upon the centre of the bridge I), and supports at its top the guidecam F.

It has heretofore been customary to construct the guide-cam separate from the post, and make itadjustable thereon. This m de of construction is proved to be objectionable, becain. of the increased number of parts necessarily crowded into the small spacepresented by the area of the cam or guide. I therefore cast the post and cam-guidv solid in one piece, and

provide the former with slotted lugs G, at its .foot,

through which screws are inserted, to bind it to the bridge 1), and at the same time permit a partial rotation on its axis as an adjustment; This is clearly shown in figs. 16 and 17. The adjustment referred to is made necessary to secure. a proper position of the stroke of the rake when it'descends upon the platform.

A stud, H, which isalso a part of the post E, projects downward from the bottom of the said post, and protrudes through a hole made for that purpose in the bridge D, as shown in fig. 13, so that all Lateral strains are received and resisted by said stud, instead of com ing upon the binding-screws through the lugs G.

The lower end of the stud H also serves as a partial bearing for the driving-pulley I, as shown in fig. 13.

The post E is' made hollow throughout-its entire length, to receive the rake-shaft J, which has its bearings within said post. (See fig. 13)

At the lower end of said shaft is the pulley I, through which motion is communicated from the driving-mechanism to the rake and reel. p I

At the top of said shaft is a cast-iron head, K, having two projectiug lugs, L L, on each of its four sides,

to form part of the four rake and reel-arm joints, and supports the ends of the joint-bolts M M.

The lugs L L are connected at their upper edges by webs or'flanges N N, two of which, diagonally opposite each other, are pierced with holes to receive the bolts 0 O, which, when in place, are interposed between the contiguous heads of the bolts M M, and prevent them from removing from their place, as clearly shown in figs. 1, 6, and 13. The bolts M are therefore made without other means of fastening.

The rake-arms 1 are-mounted in cast-iron heads Q, which arejoiuted to the shaft-head K, between the lugs L, by the joint-bolts M.

Each one of the heads Qis made with two places I to receive the. arm K between them, and with a pendent arm, R, at the lower end of which the roller S is placed to bear upon and traverse the surface of the guide-cam. F. These rollers are made of cast-iron, chilled in the mould, and are very durable.

The rake-blades T are formedwith a curved flange, t, projecting upward and forward frornthe upper front edge, (seefigs. 1 and 18,) and are provided with adj usting-braces U, by means of which the angle of blade to arm is regulated, to insure a proper parallelism between the blade and platform.

The guide-cam F is connected to the post E by arm j; and is cast solid therewith..

Its surface is that of a warped rin'g, equidistant at at all points from an axial point, around which the rakes revolve, but with a general plane oblique to the axis oi tiieshaft J. I The defleotionsof this surface are so arranged, that as the roller S traverses over it, they will cause the rakes to move over the plat formin ime parallel there-.

. with, and during other parts of the circuit torise up,

' so as to pass clearof the main frame, gearing, and

driver upon his seat; and in order toprevent a removal of the rake from its proper course by an accidental jerk of the machine, or by contact with the standing grain as the rake descends toward and upon the front edge of the platform,.the edge of the guideeam F is extended, so as to form a flange, g, which is curved upward and backward, to cover the rollersS, as shown, and the guide-cam is thereby formed with a C-shaped cross-section, much more economical of material and strength than has hitherto been attained.

The blades T- are all furnished with teeth, so that they may act indifferently as rakes or reels, but as it is not desirable .that the gavel should be raked from the platform oftener than once during one revolution of the rake-shn it J, it is therefore necessary that means shall be pro\ ided to prevent the rake-blades from-descending close to the platform when they should act only as reel-blades. This is accomplished by means of a switch, V, (see figs. 14 and 15) which may be opened to let the roller pass along the surface of the guide,

.- "and therefore'the rake will descend upon the platform,

or it may be closed to force the roller to pass over said switch, and-raise the rake away from the platform, as shown in fig. 1.

The switch V has a short shaft, 1*, which descends through a suitable socket made in the guide-cam F, and it moves in said socket as a hearing.

The lower end of the shaft 2: is made square, for the reception of a cup, W, which receives and securely holds the lower end of the spiral springX.

The upper end of said spring is secured in the loop a of the latch Y, and thereby is enabled to-operate both the switch V and latch Y.

The latch Y is pivoted, at one end, to the stud b, .which projects from the lower side of the guide-cam F, and extends thence across to a point in the vicinity of switch V, where the lip 0 will engage with the lug d, on the switch, as the latter is thrown open, to retain the switch in that position.

in two directions, at right angles to each other. It

causes the switch to revolve in a horizontal plane, while it also forces the latch Y upward, to engage with the lug d. I

When the switch has been thrown open by the action' of the spring X, it remains in that position (shown v The spring X thus acts in fig. 15 until. the next-succeeding reel-blade traveller said roller, as shown in red lines in fig. 15.

the apparatus.

to the latch, and thencepassing under a roller, h,' at

or foot.

next succeding reel-blade will descend and sweep the grain from the platform; The attendant, however, will not find it necessary to control this action of the rakes, except when the grain tobe cut is very thin tached by a screw or other means which admits of a ready removal, may be caused to release the latch Y at each revolution of the rake-shaft, and to this end the lower end of said stud'is made with a bevelled- .thetop or end of the stop y, which is a part of the ment of said latch.

V, serves to conduct the rollers S smoothly to the sur over the switch; and when one of said rollers passes: behind said switch, the bridge-piece Z swings outward, to permit the roller to pass, as shown in fig. l5. Having described my invention,

What I claim as new, is 1. The post E, cast in one piece with the guide-cam 1*, and secured by adjustable fastenings at the bottom, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

-2. The arrangement of the-stud H, shaft J, and pulley I, as shown and described.

' .WM. N. WHITELEY. Witnesses:

GEO. W. BENN, CLAY WHITELEY,

- S passes along the cam-way behind theswitch, as shown Said roller S, as-itadvances, comes .in contact with thetail e of the switch, which is thereby closed behind When closed in this way, it is caught ahd held by the engagement of the latch Y and lug d, untii snch time as the latch shall bewitl'ldrawn by the act of the}, attendant, or by some automatic device attached ftoj. It is placed under control of the"at-, tendant by means-of a cord, which may beattaclied-J the foot of the post E, is led to a position nearto the, attendant, and convenient to be operated by his hand,

' By means of said cord the latch may be tripped at .any time, so as 'to permit the switch toopen, and theupon the ground, or very'irregular, as the stud i, at-

surface, and adjusted so as to come in contact with latch Y, and serves also to limit the downward move-- The hingedbridge piece Z, located behind the switch face of the cam-guide F after said rollers have passed" 

